Monday, October 29, 2012

I had so much that I promised myself that I would do this year and low and behold this week will be the start of November.

Finding time to sew and read (sometimes look) all these lovely blogs is hard for me...although I do love my iPod so very much and it does it's duty keeping me up to date when I have a spare 5 minutes or when I am unwinding after a crazy day at work. Work also is what is eating into my spare time. In the past month I have had 3 training days on a Saturday and another set for November in a few weeks. Am I babbling...yes! Unfortunately it is part of the job. I do get my time back but where it goes...I don't know! What I am trying to say is that I do look at your blogs and if I don't leave a comment it doesn't mean that I haven't checked you out this week.

I sometimes get too excited to do these swaps too and then run out of time (have no fear all have been sent) and I have realized that my last quilt that I have made was my Echo quilt.

I have only discovered Instagram in the past month..

(I promised myself that I would not sign up to yet another social networking site. I'm not a fan of Facebook and rarely go on it, saying that Facebook does own it.)

I am finding it really handy though, a lot quicker to take a photo and write a note on it than to blog about it.

If there is anyone else out there that is on it...let me know you will find me at

erinbillybuttondesign.

But here is a few things that I have been up to this weekend .....It's a Bank Holiday in Ireland and I have loved every minute if it. Lot's of Erin time this weekend and it isn't over yet.

As some of you know I am joining in with

Jennifer at Sew Kind of Wonderful was the Blogger's Block of the Month for October.

A churn dash block.

I haven't tried this block before and found it quick and easy to churn up ...(it had to be said now)

The finished block is to be 9 1/2".

Unfortunately, I cut mine down to 9"....I wasn't thinking so I may have to make it again..ops!

I have also been admiring some lovely weekend bags of late that came out of the Sewing Summit.

I had some lovely Washi to use and thought that it would be good to make some mug rugs

I whipped these up last night...didn't take too long but as you can see.....I obviously didn't have enough lighting in the room as look what happened.

I also think that they do need a bit of binding around them. These look too much like little bags and I want the backing fabric to be a bit more fitted to the batting....does that make sense? So back to the sewing machine today. Have no fear though, these little rugs have been put to work straight away.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Now that I have my front finished and I don't want to be branded a topper, I am on the way to having this quilt batted this weekend and hopefully get a bit of the quilting done. Still cant decide how I am going to quilt this one....There are so many lovely FMQ on others but I am not that great at it and feel that straight lines are more my forte. I do think that I need to get out of my comfort zone though.

I originally chose the fabric for this quilt around this stash that I had hidden in my cupboard.

Amy Butler Belle collection.

See that lovely Amy Butler Belle Fabric down the bottom...yep that's it.

Although I had a meter of this fabric I still needed to use the rest of my solids to make the back up. I wasn't going to spend any more money on buying the Belle fabric as it was OPP and I did buy a bit more of each solid just in case I made a mistake when cutting.

Binding is cut and delighted that I have a little bit of each solid to put away in my ever growing stash.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Yes I have a list as long as my arm and was beginning to panic a week ago but with a bit of time off work last week I have been able to whip this tote bag up for my secret partner in round 2 of Mouthy stitches.

I was thinking some HST's but was too worried I would loose the design on the fabric I had chosen.

( I was also thinking the tote bag was a lot bigger )

Maybe another star block that I made for Cindy in the Modern Irish Bee but really that would be cheating right!

So 2" squares were chosen and am happy to see the final product.

Back was just the bits left over sewn together. You can't waste anything.

I did do one mistake.....I cut the linen fabric for the strap and realised that it was an inch too thin so I had to improvise seeing that there wasn't any more of this linen in my stash...(believe it or not)

My beautiful Swoon quilt is on my list....it really needs to be finished. the reason why I have stalled on this mama is that I have to square all the blocks up and I do not have a block cutter that big....am I procrastinating or what!

Again it has been hanging for quilting some time and will need to be finished.

Back

Batting

Quilting

Binding.

Now do you seriously think I am going to get any of these done....yes indeedy! I want a fresh start for next year. Now that Mouthy Stitches is out of the way and all my charm swaps and finished my pin cushion for Bee stingy.....I can concentrate on these.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

A little parcel arrived out of the blue last week....who could this be from?

I've got a wonderful parcel of Linda before and my mug rug is always ready to be used when the cuppa is had.

From Mug Rug and goodies swap.

I sent some things over to Linda and look what I got in the mail...a big surprise....

Now I have another wonderful bundle of goodies....

Linda thank you very much....they have been put to good use already.
I honestly believe that you can never have enough pin cushions and
my little purse is now on my car keys...I will always have change for the parking meter and that pesty parking inspector will never get me again.

Saturday, October 6, 2012

I really am stunned when someone asks me to join a group in blog land, especially groups that I have to make a tutorial for. Ah it's Erin you are taking to here...what can I bring to the table that someone else could do a far better job at?

But alas I have joined (with delight may I say) a new group of very lovely and talented bloggers for a bit of fun and creation.

Carin and Carol at Margaret's Hope Chest are putting these block together to make a quilt that will given to girls who have a parent in prison. They will be distributed next year through our 'Wrapped in Hope' program. If you want to donate your blocks to them you can find their address on the blog.

If you want to join in please choose pastel
colored fabrics for this project-light pinks, greens, yellows, and blues.

Here are my collection of blocks.

These two are some extras that I am going to send off

My first block for my quilt.

Anyone can join in and make the blocks and you might like to pop over and see our flickr page too.

About Me

"Not with the good sissors!" and
"Don't you touch that tension!" would be my first memories of my sewing days with my mother. I have always enjoyed sewing since she took the time to teach us all to sew on her green Singer sewing machine. She was always sewing or mending something, and I loved to rummage through her chest of fabric.
Modern quilting is what catches my eye the most but I do like making sweet little things for special people in my life.